The 2013-14 UEFA Champions League returns this week with a number of intriguing fixtures scheduled to take place involving some of the biggest teams in world football.
Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea are all involved in high-profile matches this week and will be under pressure to pick up all three points on offer, making this round of the group stage one of the most fascinating so far.
We’ve broken down all the action scheduled to take place this week complete with all the need-to-know details, TV info and live stream details as well as some last-minute predictions. Read on to see how the 16 games ahead could unfold.
GROUP E: Steaua Bucharest vs. FC Basel
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN3 Australia
Prediction: Steaua Bucharest 0-0 FC Basel
Steaua come into this one without a win (or even a goal) in the Champions League so far, but they know this is their best chance to get a win. Their home form has been relatively tight in Europe over the last 18 months or so, and against a Basel team that doesn’t travel all that well, they should do enough to keep a clean sheet and register their first point of the competition.
GROUP E: Schalke vs. Chelsea
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN3 Australia
Prediction: Schalke 1-2 Chelsea
Schalke typically have a good home base and are tough to beat in Germany, but have started out the season in very mediocre form. They’re missing several big name players for this one (including Klass-Jan Huntelaar) while the Blues welcome back the likes of Andre Schurrle into their lineup, and that should be enough for Jose Mourinho’s men to sneak the three points away from home here.
GROUP F: Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN Australia and SBS 1
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
Currently flying high in the Premier League thanks to the arrival of Mesut Ozil, Arsenal will certainly fancy their chances at taking down Borussia Dortmund here. And while they don’t quite have the defensive talent needed to keep the Germans at bay for the full 90 minutes, they certainly have enough attacking talent to trouble the likes of Mats Hummels at the back and walk away from this one with a draw.
GROUP F: Olympique Marseille vs. SSC Napoli
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN3 Australia
Prediction: Olympique Marseille 0-0 SSC Napoli
With Gonzalo Higuain again likely to be absent for Napoli, Marseille will probably head into this one as slight favourites. They’ve struggled against Europe’s elite so far this year, but will fancy their chances at home to Napoli, who suffered their first defeat of the domestic season on the weekend against Roma. Again, I see this one being split pretty evenly, with Napoli’s lack of firepower in attack coming back to haunt them once more in the Champions League group stage.
GROUP G: FC Porto vs. Zenit St. Petersburg
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN3 Australia
Prediction: FC Porto 1-0 Zenit St. Petersburg
Zenit might have plenty of big-name players in their squad, but they aren’t known for traveling well in the Champions League and showed a real lack of tenacity in attack in their most recent fixture. I can’t see them getting past Porto’s defense (who will be boosted by the home crowd) and even with their summer departures, the Portuguese club should be good enough to get the points on offer this week.
GROUP G: Austria Wien vs. Atletico Madrid
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN3 Australia
Prediction: Austria Wien 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico were perhaps unlucky to not register another clean sheet on the weekend against Espanyol and suffered their first domestic defeat as a result. Diego Simeone’s team will certainly bounce back on the road this week in Austria, with their in-form attacking duo of Diego Costa and Koke likely to hold too much firepower for their opponents to handle. A late consolation goal for Wien will make the scoreline seem much closer than it really was on the night.
GROUP H: Celtic vs. Ajax Amsterdam
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN3 Australia
Prediction: Celtic 1-0 Ajax Amsterdam
Celtic showed against Barcelona and Milan that they’re going to be more than just also-rans this year, but Ajax too have looked impressive at times against stronger opponents. The Scottish club will benefit from having the home crowd behind them, and while it won’t be as technically sound as the other match in their group might be, Celtic should have enough to get over the line in this one.
GROUP H: AC Milan vs. FC Barcelona
Wednesday, October 23, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN2 Australia
Prediction: AC Milan 0-2 FC Barcelona
Probably the pick of the fixtures on Wednesday sees a repeat of last year’s round of 16 fixture where Milan stunned La Blaugrana. Both teams aren’t playing as well as they were last year with their domestic form not quite indicative of their true potential, but they should both show here why they are two of the biggest clubs in world football. Barcelona will continue to attack the Rossoneri all night long, and should be good for a goal or two—which makes the biggest question here about whether they can hold out Milan at the other end. And while they have looked susceptible at the back in recent times, the arrival of Marc Bartra has calmed them down somewhat the back and should allow them to get the three points in this one.
GROUP D: CSKA Moscow vs. Manchester City
Thursday, October 24, 3:00am AEDST, live via ESPN2 Australia
Prediction: CSKA Moscow 1-1 Manchester City
CSKA Moscow are stronger than what they might have appeared in their opening two Champions League games and could be ready to shock the Citizens here. City don’t travel well from home at the best of times, so making the journey to Russia in late October might not draw the best from Manuel Pellegrini’s team and see them drop points in the competition for the second time this year.
GROUP A: Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Thursday, October 24, 5:45am AEDST
Prediction: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-2 Shakhtar Donetsk
Bayer Leverkusen showed against Real Sociedad that they have the attacking talent needed to find success in the European competition this year and will know that this fixture is crucial to their chances at qualifying from their group. Shakhtar are a notoriously strong attacking team but don’t quite present the same defensive strength to match—meaning that we could be in for a high-scoring fixture here. I think a draw, but don’t be surprised to see a late winner given the talent on show.
GROUP A: Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad
Thursday, October 24, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN Australia
Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Real Sociedad
Things haven’t gone at all according to plan for Manchester United this year, and I think we’re in for another stunning result this week. Sociedad’s defensive unit is strong and suits them to playing the quick, counterattacking football that often accompanies being away from home—almost to the extent that they are better playing on the road than in front of their home fans. The Red Devils have options available to them and certainly can’t be written off given the skills of players like Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are very vulnerable right now and primed for another frustrating result this week.
GROUP B: Real Madrid vs. Juventus
Thursday, October 24, 5:45am AEDST, live via ESPN2 Australia and SBS 1
Prediction: Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus
Probably the pick of the games this week sees two quarterfinalists of the competition last year go head-to-head now at the Bernabeu Stadium. And after a strong 2-0 win against Malaga on the weekend, look for Los Blancos to deliver another crushing blow to their European opponents—especially given the vulnerability that Juve have shown throughout the year. Madrid are crushing the Champions League so far in 2013 and I think that’ll continue this week.
GROUP B: Galatasaray vs. FC Copenhagen
Thursday, October 24, 5:45am AEDST
Prediction: Galatasaray 2-0 FC Copenhagen
Galatasaray scored an all-important win against Karabukspor in the Turkish domestic league on the weekend to help steady the ship somewhat, and we should see that translate into success this weekend. Copenhagen don’t have the talent required to keep pace with Galatasaray who, with the presence of Roberto Mancini and the huge support that will no doubt be present at the Turk Telecom Arena, should post up another important victory in this one.
GROUP C: Anderlecht vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Thursday, October 24, 5:45am AEDST
Prediction: Anderlecht 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain
PSG are undefeated in their European campaign so far this year and fresh off a big win over a deceptively difficult Bastai side. Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are running riot in attack right now, and while Anderlecht will be much better at home than they were against Olympiacos, it’s hard to see that helping all too much against a side as potent as the Parisians are proving to be this year.
GROUP C: Benfica vs. Olympiacos
Thursday, October 24, 5:45am AEDST
Prediction: Benfica 1-0 Olympiacos
Olympiacos are notoriously poor travelers in the European competition, and Benfica’s home ground (Da Luz) was a fortress for them in the Europa League last year. It’s hard to see that changing too much here given what we’ve seen in the Champions League to date, so expect the home team to walk away with a close but well-deserved victory on the night.
GROUP D: Bayern Munich vs. Viktoria Plzen
Thursday, October 24, 5:45am AEDST
Prediction: Bayern Munich 5-0 Viktoria Plzen
Our final Champions League match of the week will be a blowout, there’s no doubts about it. Bayern showed just how lethal they can be with a second-half onslaught against FC Mainz on the weekend, and with the attacking options that Pep Guardiola has at the moment, it’s hard to see it being any different for Plzen here. If Manchester City can thump them 3-0 in the Czech Republic, one can only imagine what the result will be against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
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